ESL Discussion: Building a Medieval Castle from Scratch

During out last vacation, my family took a road trip and visited a few old medieval towns. Some are, of course, better well-kept than others, but they are all magnificent to behold! My favorite were the ones built on the side of a cliff. They have lasted an incredible amount of time, especially the ones that are still well-kept by local artisans. This story, about building a medieval castle from scratch is a bit different than all that. This time they aren’t just preserving something already built, but actually building the castle itself from scratch. What’s more, they are using technology that would have been available in The Middle Ages. And they build those tools themselves! It’s an incredibly immersive experience that now attracts over 300,000 visitors a year and continues to grow and evolve. Dive into this incredible story that started 27 years ago with just a dream and some unemployed farmhands.

Warm-up example: If you had to build and decorate a castle from scratch today, what materials and skills do you think would be necessary? Give one example. (Make a list)
After first viewing: Pick one thing from the list. Was it mentioned in the video? Why or why not?
Vocabulary: Go over useful vocabulary in the video.
Second viewing: Watch again with the subtitles on.
Listening comprehension: Put students in pairs to answer the questions.
Speaking activity: Put students in new pairs to answer the questions.
Group activity: Put students in groups of 3 or 4 to complete the task.
Compare answers from the groups.